Demon Partners
by LilttleFreak
Summary: Suki has an evil soul sealed inside her. What'll happen when her new teammate has a similar problem? Summary sucks, but the story's better, promised. T for blood and death scenes, might become M later on depending on the boss. Gaara x OC
1. Yay Germs

**Demon Partners  
****Ch. 1**

**Yay Germs**

We arrived in Konoha late afternoon. My teammates and I had been sent from our small village to take the Chuunin exam, in hopes of creating stronger relations with the larger villages. We checked in at the hotel and dropped off our bags before going out to eat. Even if they were doing their best to be friendly and include me in the conversation, I could tell my teammates were weary of my every move. They flinched and stiffened whenever I reached across the table or looked at them too long. I could feel the hole in my chest expanding, clawing its way to my stomach.

'This is all _her_ fault.'

I eventually gave up and went back to the hotel, giving some bogus excuse on my way out. I heard them sigh in relief and start whispering. I shook my head, my teeth grinding against one another. Once in 'our' room, I opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. Once having found an adequate spot, I laid back, brushing back the large stand that hung over the corner of my eye and left temple down to my jawline; then smoothed my high ponytail out next to me, my fingers trailing along the straight black strands. It was a beautiful night, the sky filled with stars. I felt myself doze off, and immediately jumped up, thinking of what could've happened. Pursing my lips, I started casting seals around me. Sound and aura restrainer, physical barrier, and chakra-coded jutsu block to finish it off. I once again laid back, my dark green eyes drifting closed. I prayed for the seals to hold the fury _she_ would unleash and surrendered myself to the dark. I was awakened by the sickly sweet smell of blood. I blinked, disoriented.

'I didn't fall asleep here… Why does it smell like-oh god don't tell me _she_…'

I turned towards the smell; my fears confirmed when I recognized my teammates in the gory mess. I fell to my knees, tears pooling in my eyes. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for this to happen… I set seals around me; I don't know how _she_ managed to get out… This is why the adults treat me like a monster. I don't want to do this, but _she_ takes over when I fall asleep, get too angry, badly injured, and on full moons."

They stared at me, guilt spreading over their bloodstained features. "We… broke… the seal… It was dark… and… _she_… said ene…mies… trapped her… We barely… knew… what happened…"

I cried silently, burying my face in my hands. "Of course… The seals are meant to keep _her_ in, not others out."

The two boys pushed themselves up to a sitting position, the movement making them both vomit blood. "Hey… It was…our fault…but…will you…grant us…a…dying…wish?"

I nodded, wiping my cheek. "Anything. I'll do anything I can."

The pair looked at each other, nodded, and put a hand on my knees. "Burn…our bodies… Tell...the village…we ran…away… Become a chuunin…and prove them…wrong…"

I frowned, hot tears dripping down, and placed my hands over theirs."Prove who wrong?"

They both squeezed my knee, a tired smile on their lips. "Everyone…in the village… Thinks…you're…a monster…and enjoy…killing…but…you just showed…us…otherwise… Become…a chuunin…and live…for us. Please."

They fell forward, giving me a parting hug. I put my arms around them, squeezing them to me. "I will. I promise. Thank you so much. You were the first to care."

I heard them take a sharp breath and squeeze back, whispering a quiet "Thank you". I closed my eyes and swallowed back the ball in my throat, gently laying the twins' bodied back on the roof tiles. I arranged them so they were holding each other's hand, removing my coat and laying it on top of them. They looked peaceful, almost asleep despite the blood covering everything. I kissed both their cheeks, and took a step back."Removal of evidence, heaven's road, fire burial."

I watched in silence as the white flames shot out from my hands to engulf the two boys, rising towards the sky. When they died down, the only evidence of anything having happened were broken tiles. Not even a drop of blood or a strand of hair left. I bent down and picked up a shard, fresh tears wetting my cheek. I tucked the small triangle in my thigh holster, standing up. The sun was dawning over the horizon, lighting the roofs of Konoha. I slipped back inside the hotel room, closing the window behind me. I looked around, searching for my bag. The boys' had disappeared, courtesy of the jutsu I had performed earlier. I picked up the messenger bag, which contained extra tools, scrolls, a first aid kit, a sketchbook and a pencil. I looked down at myself: long-sleeved silk shirt with turtleneck that ended at my ribs, black jean short shorts with fishnet leggings to mid-thigh, and tall leather boots. No blood. I went down the stairs and checked out, explaining my teammates had already left. I stepped out onto the busy street, heading towards the Hokage's office. I entered the building and turned to the shinobi sitting behind a desk by the door. "I need to speak to the Hokage about the chuunin exam."

He nodded and waved me through. "A few sand ninjas are already up there. Wait outside if they're still talking."

I thanked him and climbed the stair to the Hokage's office. Like the man had said, several people were already there, their voices audible through the door. I leaned back against the wall and waited, unconsciously listening. I heard a young man shout, sounding frustrated. "Come on, can't ya do somethin'?"

An adult, probably his teacher, hissed in response. "Kankuro, he's the Hokage. Be more respectful."

An older man, the Hokage, sighed at the two. "I'm sorry young man, rules are rules. You need three able genin to take part in the exam."

The young man, Kankuro, groaned at him. "But Temari's _sick_. Pull some strings or somethin', the two of us are strong enough on our own."

The Hokage sighed, setting something down on his desk. "Nothing to be done. Unless someone already registered for the exam shows up missing two teammates, you all need to go home."

I poked my head in the room, looking at the occupants. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm actually in need of teammates. The two guys I came here with ran away this morning… I came here to let you know, but you were busy."

Kankuro, a teenager dressed entirely in black with purple paint on his face, narrowed his eyes at me. "Are ya good for anythin'? You need to be more than genin-level to join us. I don't wanna have to save ya all the damn time."

I pushed the door open and stepped in. "I think so, I mean, I'm a good medic and I can fight pretty well…"

Kankuro shifted his weight and crossed his arms. "How well? Ya're no use if ya can't fight."

I rubbed the back of my neck, looking at the ceiling, and sighed. "I took down two jonins during a test last year and the elders send me on A-rank missions on my own. Does that count? I don't know what's past genin level in the bigger villages."

I looked back down to see the Hokage staring at me in disbelief over his crossed fingers."I believe it does. How about it young man, is she good enough?"

I turned towards Kankuro, who was staring wide-eyed. He looked me up and down and grinned."Hell yeah. We're gonna ace this thing. I'm Kankuro, that guy in the corner with the white cloth covering his eye is Baki, and the red head behind you is my younger brother, Gaara. He's stronger than he looks, don't mess with him."

I noticed he had stiffened a bit when introducing his brother. I turned around to see what made the cocky teen so uncomfortable. He was about my age, but his blood-red hair made him look much younger. I immediately noticed the black around his pupil-less eyes, his lack of eyebrows, the kanji tattooed on his forehead, and the large gourd strapped to his back. He looked about to die from boredom or kill us to prevent that. I nodded at him and turned back to Kankuro."I'm Ketsueki, but call me Suki if you want to keep your tongue."

He laughed, relaxing, and we shook hands in agreement. I turned towards the Hokage after a small nod to Baki. "I'll need to notify my village of my teammates' disappearance. Could you arrange something?"

He nodded and took out two messenger scrolls. "Of course. I need to ask approval from both villages concerning you three forming a team. What village are you from?"

I unfolded the bottom of my shirt, revealing a blank metal plate right underneath my breasts. The men stared at the unusual plate, except for Gaara, who still looked bored as hell."I'm from the village hidden in the shadows. That's why it doesn't have a symbol."

The Hokage looked at me, extremely confused. "I don't believe it… Even if it would explain your above-average abilities, why would _that_ village have its shinobi take the chuunin exam?"

I sighed, running my hand through the strand of hair hanging over my face. "I don't know what you mean by '_that_ village' but the elders sent my team here in hopes of strengthening ties with larger villages. I have my exam pass if you need it."

The Hokage sighed and picked up a paintbrush. "That won't be necessary. You can go now; I'll send someone to get you when their answer comes in."

We left the building, Baki taking Kankuro to train and Gaara disappearing without a word. Thinking of the previous night, I jumped on the nearest rooftop to search for a library that would contain much-needed ninjutsu scrolls.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_1. Thanks for reading, I hope it didn't suck too badly :3_

_2. I honestly hadn't planned for this to be my first published story, but it was the first to be reviewed, so there._

_3. This replaces the series' chuunin exam, so Gaara has not interacted with Naruto and become a good little boy and Sarutobi is still Hokage, but Oro-chan, aka snake-tongue-guy between my sis and me, will not attack, and Temari has the flu (thus the chapter title)._

_4. Shigure will still die_

_5. IT GETS BETTER, I PROMISE! This is the 'what the crap is going on and who are you' chapter where I set the basics up._

_6. Suki's ex-teammates don't have names, but they will talked about later on, so leave suggestions in the review section. *hint hint*_

_7. Suki's name used to be Kris, but I wanted to use it for another character. Her name and nickname both mean something in Japanese, which may be important later. Thank Google Translate everyone n_n"_


	2. Dango Of Doom

**Demon Partners  
****Ch. 2**

**Dango of Doom**

I walked around the Konoha rooftops, running into several local ninjas who had been doing the same. The public library hadn't offered anything useful, so I was now exploring alternatives. After several minutes, I hopped down into the grass and came to a stop in front of the large Uchiha clan compound. I had overheard several jonins discussing it earlier and decided to search the building. A construction that large had to have some kind of library… I sent out shadow scouts, which would explore every crack, panel, and dust bunny without leaving a trace, then come back to me with more information than I would've gathered myself. It allowed me to search the entire structure in record time and total safety. Little over half an hour later, I saw the first scout come back. Within minutes, all of them were back and I had my answer. Nearly everything was sealed, the grounds were riddled with traps, and there was a LOT of porn in the walls. Who knew the famed Konoha clan was into such… kinky stuff. Whole lobster had now forever lost its appeal to me. No library though, so I headed to the training grounds to see how Kankuro was doing. I watched silently from a tree as the teen murdered its innocent leafy siblings with the help of his puppet, Crow. I jumped out of my tree when Baki called it a day and landed in front of the two men. Both were taken aback, Kankuro falling on his rear. "The hell? I didn't even see or hear ya! Where were ya this whole time?"

I stood up and rolled my eyes. "Well, that's kind of the point. Ninja, remember? And I was up in a tree watching you train."

I watched Kankuro stand up and put the mummified puppet back on his shoulder.

'No use telling him about the Uchiha thing, he wouldn't care anyway. Well except maybe for the porn part, but I don't want to mentally scar him. Yet.'

I dropped my bag and stretched, my shoulders and spine popping. "So, where are we going?"

Baki, who had since recovered, shrugged. "We were going to eat dinner then go check in at the hotel. We figured you'd find us."

I picked up my bag and shook my head, pouting. "You expect so much from me…"

He laughed, his visible eye crinkling. "Oh come on, we all know you could've. The 'poor kunoichi' act was lost as soon as you sneaked up on me."

I grinned, my canines showing. "Got me. Where to good sirs?"

Kankuro shrugged with his free shoulder. "Don't know. I was thinking ramen or dango."

I though about this for a moment, remembering the shops I had passed. "I vote dango. The shop is bigger, the food is cheaper and easier to carry, they have complementary tea, and it stays open longer."

The two nodded in agreement, and we made our way back to the village. "When'd ya have time to compare? I thought ya arrived yesterday."

I shrugged, looking back at the teen. "On the way to the training ground. What can I say; information gathering applies to shops too. Food is serious business, you know!"

That earned me a grin and laughter. It felt nice to be with people who didn't know. People who didn't piss themselves when I so much as looked as them. I almost felt normal. We entered the shop and ordered, sitting at a table in a corner. "Hey, Kankuro, isn't your brother going to eat with us?"

The two men visibly stiffened, and the teen set his tea down. "No. He… takes care of himself. We usually don't interact outside of missions and even then he tends to go off on his own… I'm not sure what he eats, but he's alive, so that means he must eat something."

I nodded and went to pick up our order.

'Note to self: avoid mentioning Gaara if you plan on keeping the conversation alive.'

I looked down at the plates, recalling Kankuro's words.

'I should probably get him some… Baki takes care of all expenses, and Gaara isn't with us, so I'm not sure he's eating people food… Oh thanks for that lovely image, brain.'

I shivered at said image and went back to our table, setting the tray in front of its two occupants. "Here you go. Culture question for 200, do you usually eat this kind of food?"

Kankuro looked up from his plate, which he had grabbed as soon as his arm could reach. "Nhn. Only when we go on missions, mostly in the land of fire. Our village doesn't do well with this type of thing. We do make a mean grilled lizard, but it's not anywhere near the same."

The two of us spent the rest of the evening discussing different types of food and their locations, Baki jutting in from time to time. I eventually sighed and stood up. "We should probably go before they arrest us for loitering."

Kankuro stood up as well, leaning against the wall as he hoisted Crow back on his shoulder. "Can ya even get arrested for that in this s-"

I hissed at him. "Kankuro! Wall!"

He looked at the fragile structure he was leaning against and jumped back.

I grabbed my bag and motioned towards the exit. "As for getting arrested, I don't feel like waiting to find out."

Baki left some bills on the table and we walked in the hotel right down the street. They had reserved two rooms, as Temari and Kankuro usually shared one and Baki took the other. I didn't bother asking about Gaara. I refused getting Baki's room, insisting teammates could share a room as long as they didn't parade around naked. I wouldn't use it much anyway. The two set out from additional training, and I was once again free to do as I pleased. I went back to the dango shop and ordered some to go, paying with the cash I had been given to feed my own team pre-death. Box in hand, in headed for the tallest rooftop in sight. From there, I would be able to send scouts to locate him no matter his whereabouts. They in fact weren't needed, as the boy I was looking for was standing near the edge of the roof, facing the setting sun. I stopped about 10 feet from him and called his name. He turned, surprise barely visible under his cold boredom. I extended the box towards him, a shy smile on my lips. "I wasn't sure if you'd gotten proper food, so I brought dango."

The surprise was replaced with much more visible anger, and he turned his back to me. I frowned and put my free hand on my hip, noticing his expression. "What's with you? I'm just being nice here."

He looked back at me, sand pooling at his feet from the uncapped gourd. "Every time someone was nice to me, they ended up trying to kill me. I don't know what you did to it, or what your plan is, but I don't want your food."

I sighed and opened the box. "I have absolutely no reason to want you dead. We never talked before this. And I didn't do anything to the dango, swear on my life."

I picked up a stick and ate one of the pieces on it, proving my point. "See? If you don't want to eat them, I will. They're awesome and I'm still hungry."

I sat down near him and dangled my feet over the edge. He looked at me, confusion clear on his face. I turned half my body towards him and sighed. "I'm not going to do anything besides try to get some food into you."

I extended the open box towards him. "You want some or not?"

He nodded shyly, looking nothing like the cold boy from earlier. More like an abandoned puppy: confused, reluctant to trust, and overall adorable. He carefully picked up a stick, hesitantly nibbling on an edge. The sand at his feet was gone, but his gourd was still open. I patted the tiles next to me. "Do you want to sit? I won't charge."

He looked at me carefully, debating whether it was safe or a trap. After a few seconds, he sat down a bit more than an arm's length away. I grinned.

'PROGRESS!'

His black-rimmed eyes grew wide at my expression and he shifted away from me. I frowned, saddened. "Is it really that weird for me to grin?"

He nodded, his frightened expression hidden behind the dango stick. "Mhm… No one has ever smiled at me besides my uncle. And I accidentally killed him when he tried to murder me on orders from my father."

I frowned, thinking of the other sand ninja's reactions whenever Gaara was mentioned. "Why would he do that? Why would anyone want to kill you?"

He shook his head, sadness filling his eyes. "I can't tell you. The only reason why you're nice to me is because you don't know. If I tell you, you'll want to kill me too."

The emptiness in my chest made itself known again. I was in the same boat. None of them would go near me if I told them about _her_ and what _she_ did for fun. I extended my arm towards him, my open palm parallel to his chest. "Place your hand on mine. Don't ask why, it's not dangerous or anything."

He hesitated a long while, and then finally obeyed, his palm barely brushing mine. I slowly laced my fingers through his, never breaking eye contact. He looked throughoutly freaked out, sand pouring out of his gourd to wrap around me. I sighed and looked at him seriously, my free hand over my heart. "I promise not to attempt to harm you in any way, no matter what your secret might be. I too have something that would make others hate me if they knew. Will you please tell me?"

He nodded, the sand subsiding. The redhead pulled his hand away, looking at even redder horizon. "I'm a jinchuriki. My father sealed the one-tail inside of me when I was born."

I felt my mouth drop open in disbelief. "You're a… Oh my fucking god."

He stood up and body flickered away. The look of hurt and anger had been unmistakable. I facepalmed, the sound resonating around me. "Moron. Could I have chosen a worse way to express myself?"

I let myself fall back, my head thudding painfully against the tiles. "And now I'm concussed."

I sighed, staring at the quickly darkening sky.

'I need to apologize. And I should probably tell him about my demon while I'm at it. The full moon is almost here anyway.'

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_1. Thank you to** Abbie9413**, **RaynexRenx**, and **RedRose1029** for being the first three to add my story to their "Story Alert subscription", and an even bigger thanks to**TykiPyon** for being both the first to Review and the first to add my story to his/her favorites. You guys (and girls) forever have a mention at the bottom of my profile._

_2. I narrowly avoided Kankuro breaking the fourth wall, but instead settled for him leaning on it and being the public nuisance we all know him to be._

_3. If you're wondering why Gaara took the food, it's because he saw she was willing to eat it and he was quite hungry. If that doesn't satisfy you as a reason, you can gtfo and write the next chapters on your own._

_4. Stuff actually happened between the two! OMJ! Just wait until chapter 4 or 5... __The dango will be a reoccurring theme, and I didn't have a title idea anyway._

_5. I really hate that first sentence._

_6. I think I might be the only Orochimaru fangirl in the known universe... I don't even know why..._

_7. __I typed all of this in one sitting and __I'll get the 3rd chapter out within the week of when someone reviews. Also, please answer my poll so I can my other story out!_


	3. International Crime

**Demon Partners  
****Ch. 3**

**International Crime**

I walked back to the hotel and climbed out the window onto the roof. Sleeping would be begging for _her_ to kill my new team. I pulled out my sketchbook and started on transferring the scene in front of me onto the small paper balanced on my knee. I dropped back in when Kankuro returned from training to tell him where I'd be. I used a camping jutsu to keep sketching when it became too dark to see anything but the stars and the almost-full moon. Several hours after dawn, I saw the dango shop down the street open its door. I arranged my supplies back into my bag and body flickered to the counter. The lady looked slightly surprised at my sudden apparition, but greeted me warmly. They served sweet bread for breakfast, and the cook offered me a discount for being the first customer of the day. I gladly accepted and headed to the forest, purchase in hand. I spent the morning chasing wildlife and fighting the more aggressive animals. Once satisfied, I climbed a tree and ate my breakfast while doodling. After breakfast and more training, I went back to the hotel and leaned over Kankuro's sleeping form. "OI! WAKE. UP."

Each word was accompanied by a jab to his cheek. He yelped in surprise and fell out of bed.

'Some ninja…'

I sighed and offered him a hand up. "If you don't hurry, you won't eat breakfast."

He stood up and rubbed his neck and shoulders. "Why not? The shops ain't going anywhere…"

I sighed and handed him the clothes that were hanging nearby. "No, but they don't serve breakfast after 11."

He took them and pulled the pants on, slinging the rest over his shoulder, and grabbed a makeup pouch from the bedside table. "So? It's not that late…"

I sighed and followed him into the bathroom. "Are you really that bad with time? It's already a quarter to eleven."

He quickly applied some kind of purple paste to his face and scrambled into the rest of his clothes. "ShitshitshitshitSHIT! Why the hell didn't ya wake me earlier?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I was training. Besides, I thought Baki took care of that."

He shook his head and bent down to strap his shoes on. "Temari usually wakes me up. Baki just waits at the training grounds and makes us run laps if we're late."

I pulled out a container scroll labeled "hygiene" and summoned a hairbrush. "Sorry, I would've come earlier if I had known. You'll have to wake yourself tomorrow; I'm going to be busy all day starting at dawn."

Kankuro nodded and grabbed Crow off of a wall hook. "Kay. I'll figure something out. You know where to find me, later!"

I sighed as he jumped out the window.

'Don't any of us use doors?'

I thought for a few seconds and headed to the shower, bringing my bag with me. Half an hour and a lot of product later, I was standing fully clothed in front of the small mirror. I leaned forward and poked the shadows under my right eye, sighing.

'A few more nights of this and I'll start resembling Gaara… Speaking of whom, I should probably find and feed him"

I put the supplies I had used back into the container scroll and jumped out the window, following my teammate's example.

'Doors are for squares.'

I got lunch from a nearby ramen stand and headed towards Gaara's chakra signature. I was walking on a roof next to the Hokage's library when I noticed the smell of ink and old scrolls drift towards me. I turned towards the odor and noticed an open window within jumping distance. Well, my jumping distance anyway.

'Gaara will have to wait. I have to go commit an international crime.'

I easily slipped in and started browsing the shelves.

'One would think such an important room would be guarded by more than just a few chuunins… Not that I'm complaining, this is actually quite convenient.'

I carefully inspected each scroll I saw, jumping atop the nearest shelf whenever a guard came near. After several hours, I came across a section designed specifically for containment and barrier seals. A quick look at various scrolls, and I found one that would teach me a one-way sound barrier, which would allow me to hear people on the outside but keep _her_ silent to them, and a two-way physical barrier, which would keep others and their weapon out as well as _her_ and _her_ weapons in. Several other seals looked promising as well, so I pocketed the scroll and slipped back out the window. I spent the rest of the afternoon practicing the two new seals, planning on looking at the new ones the following day. I ate the extra ramen as lunch, feeling bad for the redhead it had originally been bought for. I took a break around dinnertime and went back to the hotel to take a quick shower before going to my favorite shop and stocking up on dango and other pastries for the following day. I spent the evening looking for an adequate sleeping spot and fighting off hungry tigers. As soon as I found a suitable place, I sat down and cast my seals, paying special attention to the new ones. I sketched the bear-sized felines prowling around the barrier until I saw the sun start to set. At that time, I put my items away and sealed my bag closed. I didn't want _her _destroying my drawings again. I sighed and bent back, stretching my back.

'Time to see if learning those things were worth the effo-'

My thoughts were abruptly cut off when I felt a burning pain in my upper back and right behind my eyes. It spread, growing in intensity as it went. Within minutes, I was writhing on the ground, screaming in pain. I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder blades, followed by a loud pop. Then the darkness swallowed everything.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_1. This chapter is 1/2 as long as my usual ones, but that cliffhanger was too good to miss. Besides, I had to have this posted by 11:59 to keep my promise, and it's already 10:37. I split Ch.3 into two, so Ch.4 will be out in the next few days, if not tomorrow._

_2. I forgot to mention this in Ch.2, but the Uchiha compound idea is from **Perfect Lionheart**'s story, "Chunin Exam Day" (which you should really read, it's beyond awesome). I just specified a few details. Like the porn... *shudder* Anyway... That idea does belongs to him._

_3. As I mentioned in the comments in anon form, I might be re-uploading chapter 1. Go to the review section and read it, I don't feel like typing all of it again._

_4. You readers haven't answered my poll and don't review enough. I am disappoint. Oh, I still love you. You are the reason I write instead of just daydreaming. Thanks for helping me free space in my overused brain._

_5. I just thought I should mention I'll answer any and all of your questions in A/Ns, whether they'd be commented or messaged. ASK AWAY~_

_6. IMPORTANT STUFF HAPPENS NEXT CHAPTER :D_


	4. Friends From Hell

**Demon Partners  
Ch. 4**

**Friends From Hell**

I opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings. I was still in the forest, and the seals I had cast were still around me. I was sitting up now, and carved into the loose dirt in front of me, was what I assumed to be _her_ message.

'_Dearest host, I fucking hate you. You won this battle little girl, but you won't win the war. You're going to see a lot more of me soon. Until then, enjoy my little present for the day.'_

I rolled my eyes and stood up. _She_ always gave me the same present on full moons. In exchange for atrocious pain when they sprout and retract, I had the privilege to sport two black-feathered wings until the moon went down again. Two nights and one day of hiding somewhere away from normal people. _She_ took an evil pleasure in using _her_ increase in power during the first night to take over and painfully steal my consciousness from me. I munched on breakfast over the stolen scroll, checking for anything useful. I was about to give up and put it away when I saw a small addition at the end, a messily explained seal. The author commented it was still usable despite its two important flaws. It sealed anything and everything within the area the caster had in mind, but it only lasted 7 hours and put every living thing contained in it to sleep for that time. I grinned, pleased at my finding. It was absolutely perfect. I packed up and went to find Gaara. The scroll had been much more important than my apology, but that was done and there wouldn't be another time as perfect as this for another month. The sand jinchuriki was deeper in the forest, several miles from me. I decided to take advantage of my temporary limbs and fly over the trees to where he was, greatly reducing travel time. I landed in his general area and decided to keep going on foot, as not to attract as much attention. I carefully made my way closer, half because I didn't know what state I'd find him in and half because I kept getting distracted and running into or off trees. I stopped mid-stride as soon as I came near enough to see him. He seemed lucid, as he was sitting still and not on a murderous rampage, but his entire right-hand side didn't human anymore. The one-tail had made himself known and taken over half his body, if only in appearance. At least _she_ looked somewhat human. I carefully made my way closer, making as little noise as the rustling leaves around me, but stopped again when he came within my hearing range. Gaara was sobbing. Not crying, but actually sobbing. He had his knees drawn up and was hugging them close, shaking, and kept whispering things into his knees, although they were too quiet for me to understand. The heavy, wet hiccupping ripped open the hole in my chest, making me feel empty and ice cold. Almost dead. I took a few steps towards the small boy, rubbing my arm, head down and eyes adverted. I bit the inside of my cheek, determined not to let the emotional pain show. "Gaara?"

His head jerked up, and a mass of sand hurled towards me. I flew up, narrowly avoiding the attack. His mismatched eyes grew wide, fear and surprise coiling together without any of his usual coldness or anger in sight. I sighed and landed carefully on the small clearing's grass. "I'm really sorry about what I said. I don't think of you like that, it's just… I was surprised to meet someone like me. My demon might look more human than yours, but we're still both jinchurikies. Can we forget I ever said that?"

He nodded weakly and set his head back on his knees, various emotions flickering over his face. I walked over and sat down about five feet from him, careful to give him his space. He straightened after a few minutes, wiping his cheeks. "Tell anyone about this and I'll kill you."

I blinked several times at his sudden attitude change. After a few seconds, I realized he was referring to both his appearance and crying. He made sure to act like an emotionless brat around people, so him crying would shatter that carefully fabricated image. I gave a half-smile and looped my hands around one knee. "Wouldn't even think of it. Well, as long as you don't tell them about these."

I flapped the feathered limbs protruding from my upper back, stirring the grass beneath me. Gaara watched them, fascinated, like a toddler who has just found a pretty butterfly. I looked at him from the corner of my eye, slightly amused. "And no more crying, ok? When my friends cry, I want to cry too. And I really fucking hate crying, it makes my eyes all red and blotchy."

I made a face and shook my head at the thought. The redhead nodded in agreement, although he looked a bit confused. "What do you mean by friends? I never agreed to be your friend."

I turned to sit cross-legged, facing him. "People can only be two of five things to me: stranger, enemy, rival, friend, and family. Well, I don't actually have a family, but still. And you don't get a say in which one you are. I consider you my friend, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Gaara opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by an angry growl coming from his stomach. He flushed and crossed his arms over the source of the sound. I laughed and pulled out the box of food. "I have eatable stuff in here, want some?"

His face got even redder, but he nodded anyway. I opened the box and moved closer to set it between us. He reached in and carefully picked up two dango sticks, hesitating a few seconds before handing me one. I grinned and took it, making his eyes light up a shade. I zoned out after a few minutes of us silently killing innocent sweets, absent-mindedly moving my wings and staring off into the trees. I was dropping a sweet bread wrapper back into the box when I noticed Gaara was staring curiously at the dark feathers again. I grinned at him a flapped them again. "Do you want to touch them? You've been staring for a while now."

He crossed his arms and huffed, a light color dusting his cheeks. "I have not. And I don't want to touch them."

I sighed and leaned forward. "Listen here. You can either admit you're curious and get what you want, or keep being stubborn and miss out. Which is it?"

He huffed again and his blush deepened. "Fine, I'm curious. Happy?"

I grinned and sat back down. We were now less than a foot from each other, but neither of us noticed or cared. "Quite. Although I'm curious as to what you were thinking about…"

He looked at me, the red spreading to his ears and neck. "I was wondering… if… they were as soft as they look."

He fidgeted with a discarded dango stick, looking down at his hands. I felt my grin widen and leaned forward again, my nose almost touching him. "Want to find out? I'll let you pet them if you let me draw you."

His blush darkened, almost matching his tattoo. "Fine, but only because I might never have the chance again. But why do you want to draw me? I look disgusting like this."

I pulled out my sketchbook and pencil, opening it to a blank page. "Kind of like what you said, I might never have the chance again. Also, you are a great subject; with lots of detail and- ok I'll stop before going into an art speech. As for that last thing, I don't think you look bad at all. You're actually pretty cute."

I felt my face heat up as I realized what had just said. Thinking it was one thing, saying it out loud was another. I gave a small cough and opened my wings to their fullest before folding them in front of me, like a shawl. "Here you go. Pet away, it might take a while to draw you."

He nodded and pushed the box away to sit right in front of me. He hesitated a bit, open curiosity on his face, before finally running a finger down an end feather. His eyes widened in wonder and he ran his open hand on the entire wing, the other joining soon after. I closed my own eyes and sighed internally, enjoying the warmth. No one had ever seen these, much less touched them. I reopened my eyes and started sketching the curious redhead. Night soon fell, temperatures dropping with the sun. We took a break from our respective activities-him still petting my feathers and me drawing him doing so-and built a small campfire, both for light and warmth. I finished my drawing and proposed a game of pick-up sticks, using the discarded dango picks. We set everything up and sat on opposite sides of the large pile, near the fire. I picked a stick up off the top and set it aside "So, anyway, when'd you graduate from the academy?"

He bent forward, his tongue sticking out a bit in concentration. That coupled with his messy red hair and furrowed brow made his demon raccoon half look out of place and overall completely adorable.

'Damn, he's really cute. Even with half his body being taken over by a sealed beast. Wait, what the hell? What am I thinking? He's something like ten!'

I mentally kicked myself and focused on the game. Gaara straightened and held up a stick triumphantly. "Three years ago, they really didn't want to make me pass. Same thing for my siblings. Baki had no problem though, he graduated four years earlier than all of us."

I frowned slightly, doing the mental math. I hadn't heard of a sand ninja that had graduated earlier than eight years old in the past 30 years. "Wait, how old are you?"

He looked up from the game, a bit surprised. "I'm 15, why?"

I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck.

'Ok, so he's not so young…'

I laughed nervously, feeling my face heat up. "I kinda thought you were several years younger than that…"

He leaned back and snorted, rolling his eyes.

'OMK he's a normal teenager. Ok, bad use of the word "normal", but still.'

Gaara picked up another stick and twirled it in his fingers. "Most people do, I blame my hair."

I focused my attention back on picking up my own, absent-mindedly replying. "And I blame your lack of eyebrows…"

He huffed, a light blush in his cheekbones. "Leave my bald eyebrows out of this."

I raised one of my own up, grinning. "Oh? Does mister socially unacceptable actually have a sense of humor?"

The redhead grinned back, and I was once again reminded of how attractive his human half was. He waved a stick at me, almost touching my nose. "You're just as unacceptable as I am, so I don't see why not."

I stuck my tongue out at him, as if I was four instead of fourteen. "Only in my home village. You're international."

He poked my tongue with the pick he had been waving earlier. "Don't stick your tongue out unless you intend to use it."

My grin grew wider and I wiggled my eyebrows. "Who sais I'm not?"

Gaara flushed bright red and scrambled backwards, completely mortified. I snickered and waved a piece of dango from the almost forgotten box. "What did you think I meant? Oh. Never mind, I think I know. You are a teenage boy after all."

His blush instantly transcended crimson and moved towards burgundy. He threw the closest object at my head, not really aiming. I easily ducked and held my hands up in defeat. "All right, I take that back. You are not a hormone-crazed teenager who thinks with his crotch."

He added more wood to the fire using his sand, still red. I chuckled and rolled onto my back, looking at him up-side down. "What do you want to do? We still have a couple hours to kill…"

He shrugged, not looking at me. I rolled onto my stomach and belly-crawled over to poke his knee. "Oh come on, anything?"

He jumped a bit at the poke and shook his head. I groaned and pushed myself up to a sitting position. "Fine, then. Teach me something."

Gaara looked at me, slightly surprised. "Teach you something? Like what?"

I gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I don't know. Teach me how to control sand or something. I can use shadows, but they're not solid."

He turned towards me, his blush almost gone. "Teach me shadow control and I will."

I cocked my head to the side, a minuscule smile playing on my lips. "Like a trade?"

The redhead grinned perversely, the expression completely at odds with his looks and general attitude. He leaned forward a bit, raising the eyebrow with the tattoo. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

I started laughing in disbelief at the teen. "What happened in the past thirty seconds? Since when do you grin like a perv and make those kinds of jokes? Not that I'm complaining, that's awesome."

His grin dropped its perviness, his eyes brightening, and he gave a small shrug. "I figured I could. From what you said earlier. I've always wanted to be normal, so I thought I'd start with acting like it. Am I doing it right?"

I stifled my laugh with my hand and nodded. "Perfect. I almost thought someone had abducted and replaced you. When do we start?"

He stood up and hesitantly offered me his human hand. "Right now. Do you… um… want a hand up?"

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_1. I know Gaara is supposed to be 12-13, but it felt weird writing a romance with the main pair being so young. Just ignore the plot hole and pretend Orochimaru got lost and never attacked when he was 12, and that the sand siblings failed the exam and were on missions during the following ones._

_2. Gaara is a bit OOC in some part, but I made him more comfortable around Suki since she's like him. She's is really friendly and a bit temperamental, so he dropped his brattish and cold attitude, which I believe he had to protect himself and others, as well as make it easier for his family to hate him._

_3. OMK means Oh My Kage. As in hoKAGE, kazeKAGE, etc. I personally use Oh My Jashin, but Suki isn't a jashinist so that'd be weird._

_4. Yes, I gave them each a pervy line or two, just to show they are teenagers and make myself happy. I really don't care if it's completely OOC, I wanted to add it so I did._

_5. This chapter is horribly late, especially since the last one was very short. I got caught up in school projects and a new show, so I'll apologize with publishing a new story soon and making this chapter a tiny bit longer.__  
_

_6. Once again, I need your help. I have a question posted on my profile page, all the way at the top. Please answer, I NEED OPINIONS! D:_


	5. Full Moon And Emotional Stuff

**Demon Partners  
****Ch. 5**

**Full Moon And Emotional Stuff**

I nodded and took Gaara's hand. He pulled me up and poured a bit of sand from his gourd in front of me. I raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking at the dark gold dune. He put the cork back and shyly gestured at the small pile. "It's my sand. It… um… has my chakra in it. I thought it'd be easier to control if it already had paths for you to follow…"

I nodded and smiled at him, grateful for the boy's friendly (albeit shy) help. "Thanks, that's really nice of you. As for shadows… Well, I never learned from a teacher, it's kind of something I've always known. Umm… I did spy on classes that were teaching it, so I guess I can use that. They said using your own shadow was easier, since it's already connected to you. You just pour chakra from the bottom of your feet and spread it over your shadow, kind of like a grid. You can also do it like a puppeteer, but that's more easily detected and can be cut. It's also way less cool."

The redhead nodded and thumbed one of his cloth straps nervously. "Umm… I don't really know what I do. I just do the motion and the sand will obey. I'm not really much help…"

I ruffled his hair, grinning. Surprisingly, he didn't show any of his usual emotions; just pouted and put his hair back like it was pre-ruffle, a happy look in his eyes. I chuckled at him and got on one knee to put my hands on sand dune. "Sure you are. Letting me use your sand is a huge advantage, since I won't have to figure out how to spread my chakra or how much of it. And well… It's also the second nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Gaara sat down in front of me, more curious than anything else. "Really? What was the nicest thing anyone ever did?"

I looked up at him, a bit sad. "My teammates. They… They didn't run away. _She_ lured them into releasing the seals I set and killed them. They said they were sorry for not giving me a chance, and… Well, they told me to report them as having run away, so I could become a chuunin and prove the village wrong. They didn't want any more deaths for them to hold against me. They were the first to care about me. Ever. My parents killed themselves as soon as _she_ was sealed in me."

He looked down at the ground, half sad and half envious, making small circles on his leg with his index finger. "I wish someone cared about me that much… But my mom really loved me before she died, so I guess it's not all that bad. And I have you as a friend now, right?"

I smiled, feeling the hole in my chest close a tiny bit. "Yeah, you do. And as for someone to care for you, I could be that person."

I took a deep breath, looking right at the surprised teen. "When all your walls get knocked down, I'll remain standing and support you. No matter what."

We just stared at each other, until Gaara suddenly threw his arms around me, burying his face in my shoulder and squeezing the air out of me. I squeaked and fell back, the half-demonified teen following. I tried to push him off, without much success. I gave up and hugged him back, soaking in his heat. Anywhere from a second to an hour later, I sighed and turned my head to whisper in his ear. "Gaara, you're crushing my ribs…"

He immediately let go, returning my ability to breathe. I chuckled and moved to sit more comfortably. He did the same and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "Sorry… I guess I got carried away. I not really used to reacting to anything but fear and hate…"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Neither am I, truth being told. But I spy on regular folks, so I can piece together how I'm supposed to act."

He stood up, dusting himself off before offering me a hand. I took it and got to my feet, almost falling back down. He caught me before I could, pulling my arm back and putting his other hand on the small of my back to support me. This resulted in our faces being less than an inch apart and our hips knocking together. We just blinked at each other for a few seconds, basking in the awkwardness. We suddenly broke into laughter, both of us putting a hand over our mouth to stifle it. I took one look at my companion, and the oddness of him being half-demon and laughing sent me into another fit. Once we had both calmed down, we went back to teaching each other. I kneeled in front of the sand and put my hands on it, like I was pre-hug. I closed my eyes and followed the existing chakra, replacing it as I went. As soon as it was completely gone, I looked at Gaara, who was glaring at his shadow. "Hey, I replaced your chakra. What do you want me to do now?"

He looked up, no longer glaring. "Hm? Oh… Um… I guess you have to try to move it… Pretend it's an extension of your body."

I nodded and extended my arm, using the sand to add wood to our fire. It was shaky, but it worked. I jumped up, extremely happy. "I did it! It's actually pretty simple once you know what to do. Thanks for letting me use your sand."

I walked over to him, almost skipping, circling the sand over my head. "Do you want it back?"

He shook his head, smiling shyly. "Keep it. It has your chakra in it now. And… Friends give each other gifts, right?"

I thought about this for a moment. "I don't know, I never had a real friend before… But I do see people do it in my village all the time. Thanks!"

I paused for a second, chewing on my bottom lip. I bent down a bit and placed a small kiss on his demon half's cheek. He flushed, completely taken by surprise. I jumped back, grinning, and summoned a gourd about the size of a water bottle from one of my scrolls. I put the sand in and corked it, then put a long, red ribbon around the narrow part of the gourd and wrapped it around my waist. It hung perfectly. Although the color did not match anything on me, it was the exact same shade as the one wrapped around Gaara's much larger gourd. I looked back at him, satisfied with my work. "Want help with your shadow? I think you'd have paths to follow too if I control it. Kind of like your sand, except I need to keep a hold of it or it'll become a normal shadow again."

He nodded shyly, fiddling with one of his straps. I motioned from him to move closer to the fire, as the setting moon wasn't quite enough light. He obliged, then turned the face his shadow. I made it rise up using one finger, until it reached his chest. He closed his eyes, brows creasing in concentration. I could feel him claiming control from the bottom up, until I was entirely chased out. We both grinned at each other, and he used his shadow to pick me up. I laughed and patted my unusual seat. Gaara grinned evilly and made the shadow branch out to wrap around my wrists, tying them together. I looked at him, raising an eyebrow, but was distracted by the slight coloring of the horizon. I took control of the shadow and rolled off onto the ground, landing on all fours. I felt my back start to burn and dug my fingers in the dirt, grinding my teeth.

'Too late.'

Gaara took a step towards me, clearly worried. I shook my head at the other demon vessel. The feathered limbs began to retreat into my back, and the burning intensified. I closed my eyes tightly, biting back a whimper. A few seconds later, the 'elbow' of my wings passed through. Bolts of white-hot pain branched out from the center, resonating in all of my bones. I bucked inwards, letting out a short, high-pitched scream. The rest of the wings retreated, and the pain slowly dissipated. I opened my eyes and shakily straightened, coming face-to-face with Gaara, who was kneeling in front of me with one hand on my shoulder. He had also gone back to normal, and was now looking at me in concern. I put one hand over his and stood up to brush the dirt off my clothes and hands. "I'm ok. The wings retract at dawn, and _she_ takes a lot of pleasure in making it as painful as possible."

He nodded, still looking concerned. I rolled my eyes and brushed the hair in my face back into place. "So, are you glad to be fully human again?"

He shook his head, concern replaced by sadness and a hint of embarrassment. "Not really. Now I can't act how I want, I have to pretend to be a total brat. And I can't have fun with you either…"

I looked at him, surprised. "Why?"

He looked down, kicking at small rocks. "It makes it easier for my siblings to hate me. They already have the despised demon vessel as a brother; I don't want to cause them more pain. I can do what I want with you because we're the same. Everyone else who knows what I am hates me. I can't ignore that, I can't be like you."

I shook my head, the hole in my chest making itself known. "I can't ignore it either. I have never been truly happy, nor had a friend before you."

I put a hand over my chest, swallowing the ball in my throat. "There's a hole here. And it grows every time someone glares, runs away, or reminds me of what I am. I shrug it off, because they all expect me to go on a rampage or break down and cry. By being friendly and acting like I don't care, I beat them at their own game."

There was no need to explain who 'they' were. He looked up, surprised. "Really? I never thought of that. Do you think… you could help me be like that? Help me be like that around normal people?"

I smiled, the hole closing a bit again. "Sure. And… Thank you. I know you don't think you're doing anything, but you're making the hole close. Thank you for being who and what you are. Now, leaving all the emotional stuff behind, do you want breakfast?"

He chuckled and nodded, grinning. "You bet. Race you to Konoha!"

He body flashed away, leaving me alone in the forest. I shook my head and put out the fire. I grabbed my bag and any other items left, then body flashed after him. I cupped my hand on either side of my mouth, grinning. "Better run fast sand boy, because I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_1. I'M SORRY! D: I got caught up in my new story and the freedom of summer. I realized I hadn't updated in a while when my review-related happy kicks caused my Gaara plushie to fall on my head. I felt bad and rushed to my computer, skipping the "write chapter in notebook" step and going straight to typing. _

_2. So much emotional goop in this chapter... Ewww... We won't have one of these again for a while. I'll try to keep it lighter from now on, and *spoiler* the written exam is the day after whatever day's dawn just happened. We'll get Ibiki and possibly obnoxiously loud Naruto. I'll probably use the same 10th question. *spoiler over*_

_3. Why did they teach each other stuff? Suki was bored, and I needed something to fill Ch. 5 between dialogue. And I might use it against Kankuro... *evil laugh* ____I'd like to point out the two don't just body flicker to Konoha. Why? Because they don't know their way around the forest, nor the exact location of the gate. And even if jinchuriki, or demon vessels, have a large amount of chakra, that would still be exhausting. I am totally covering up possible plot holes._

_4. I already said this in "Dragon Slayer's Brain Damage", but just in case a reader from this story answered the poll, I'll write it here too. __I want to thank the two people who voted on my poll, you are amazing :D Free story and a virtual cookie for whoever claims the already-existing votes or votes then comes back to claim the new one! Send me a message w/ the pairing (any serie, books or anime) or leave it in the review section. If I don't know it, I'll learn and do it anyway. *Highly motivated*_


	6. Creative Awakening 1

**Demon Partners  
****Ch. 6**

**Creative Awakening #1**

I raced after Gaara, body flickering to his chakra every 20 feet. Unfortunately, he always body flickered away a split second before me, no matter what I did. Caught up in the excitement of the race, we both covered the several miles to Konoha within minutes. He reached the gate first, and I flickered to his location like usual. However, he hadn't moved this time, so I ran right into him. We both fell, hitting the ground with a dull 'thump'. The guards on duty laughed quietly, coving their mouths to hide it, which resulted in a them snickering. I got up and brushed the dirt and dust from my clothing. Gaara stood up in one fluid motion, glaring at the guards. I bit back a laugh and put a hand on his arm. "Relax, they're just laughing. It's probably the most entertaining thing they've seen all week."

He turned towards me, conflicting emotions on his face. "They're not laughing. They're snickering. How am supposed to respond to that?"

I shook my head and stifled a chuckle. "They're trying to hold their laugh in. Snickering's the result. And you respond by being honest with yourself and admitting it would be funny for someone watching."

I turned towards the guards and waved, a big grin on my face. They waved back, grinning as well. I looked back at Gaara, who was watching the exchange with great interest. "See? Now let's go get food, I need a proper meal."

He nodded and took out his exam pass. I did the same and walked up to the guards. They looked at our passes and waved us through. I stretched as we walked under the gate, my back popping. It was around 5 in the morning, so not many people were up. A few ninjas here and there, three drunks, an escort, and a tourist. This put a temporary stop to our breakfast plan, so we just walked around town for a while, looking at the different shops. We eventually got bored and jumped onto a nearby roof to watch the clouds. We sat down next to each other, looking in front of us rather than directly above. Gaara drew his legs towards him after a few minutes, hugging them and setting his chin on his knees. "I didn't mean to let you in, you know."

I turned towards him, surprised at his sad tone. "Hm? What are you talking about?"

He stared straight ahead, his clear teal eyes glazed over. "I let my guard down, and you just waltzed in. You saw my softer side."

He turned his head towards me, suddenly serious. "But that doesn't mean that's all I am. Once out in the field… I'm different. More focused. Crueler. I won't hesitate to kill. I enjoy it."

I laid back, putting my hands behind my head. "I'm the same way. _She_'s part of me. I'm part of _her. _It's only natural for our personalities to mix and interchange. Well, that and my village's training. And I thought we left the emotional stuff back in the forest."

He gave a small laugh and nodded, looking back at the horizon. I sat up suddenly, pointing at a cloud. "That totally looks like a turtle!"

He looked at it and shook his head. "No way. That's a sand lizard."

I scowled at him, crossing my legs. "A skinny turtle."

He scowled back, letting go of his. "A fat lizard."

I growled, shadows growing and raising around me. "Turtle."

He growled back, sand snaking around my arms and legs. "Lizard."

I heard the ramen stand under us open and jumped up, raising a fist to the sky. "BREAKFAST!"

Gaara's sand retreated and he looked at me weird. "What?"

I grabbed his wrist and jumped off the roof. The storeowner dropped the sign he was holding, yelping in surprise. I blinked at him, and then snorted a laugh when I saw his ridiculous expression. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Can we get breakfast?"

He chuckled and picked up the sign he had dropped. "Sure. Sit down, I'll be right with you."

I let go of Gaara's wrist and motioned for him to sit. He climbed onto a stool and I sat next to him. The storeowner came through the back door, on the other side of the counter. He turned on several burners, getting ready to cook. I noticed he was staring at my redheaded companion out of the corner of his eye and turned to check. Sure enough, Gaara had his cold, bored, expression on; much like when I had first met him. I nudged him with my foot, causing him to turn his head a bit and glare at me. I raised an eyebrow and tapped my cheekbone, whispering low enough that only he would hear. "Facial expression. He doesn't know you and you're creeping him out with that face."

Embarrassment and a light blush replaced his glare. "Sorry… Force of habit."

I chuckled and turned back to the older man, who was much more relaxed now that my fellow jinchuriki showed an emotion. He wiped his hands on his apron and smiled at us. "Alright, what do you guys want?"

Gaara fiddled with his strap and looked down. "I'll… have whatever Suki's having."

I slammed a hand on the counter and turned towards him. "Oh no you don't! You are going to interact with this man!"

He scowled at me and turned back to the startled storeowner, still fiddling with his strap. "What do you usually have for breakfast?"

The man thought for a few seconds, rubbing his chin. "Well… We usually have leftovers… But we have miso soup and broiled fish during the holidays. I don't have broiled fish in the shop, but I could get some for tomorrow."

Gaara nodded, gripping his strap. "Can I have… miso soup and… tamagoyaki?"

The storeowner nodded happily, already starting to make the soup. "Absolutely. I'll make the omelet while that's cooking. What about you, miss?"

I grinned and put my crossed arms on the counter. "Same."

I heard my companion make a shocked sound and stuck my tongue out at him. "**I** don't have to interact with him, because **I** know how to behave with strangers."

The food came quickly and we ate in silence, too hungry to make small talk. Once done, I paid and waved goodbye, then followed Gaara to wherever he was going. After five minutes of walking through the slowly wakening town, I tapped him on the shoulder. "Where are we and where are we going?"

He grinned up at me, shrugging. "Dunno."

I chuckled and hitched my messenger bag higher on my shoulder. "We might want to wake your brother up. Or at least me."

He nodded, jumping onto the closest roof. "Race you there?"

I grinned and body flickered to his brother's chakra signature. He arrived a split second after me, complaining in whispers. "You cheated."

I threw the empty dango box away; then stood at the foot of the only occupied bed. "Maybe, but you did the same thing to me in the forest."

Kankuro was sprawled under the covers, which were shoved back to reveal his bare chest. I poked his stomach, telling him to wake up. He only mumbled and swatted at my hand. I scowled and turned to Gaara. "Anyway, I just thought of a great way to wake up your brother. I'm going to need you to stay quiet and NOT JUDGE ME."

I laid down on top of the covers, dropping my bag on the ground. I pressed my body to Kankuro'sside and started drawing small circles on the exposed flesh, working from his abs up to his collarbone, then back down. He stirred, wrapping an arm around my middle, but didn't wake up. I softly blew in his ear, then gently nibbled on his earlobe, still tracing circles. He groaned, starting to regain consciousness. I grinned evilly at Gaara, who was blushing in a corner, and transformed into Baki. I had perfected the technique so it wasn't noticeable and Kankuro was still mostly asleep anyway. I licked his neck and whispered in his ear again, using Baki's voice. "Kankuro, you have five minutes to get out of bed."

He yelped and shoved me off, wiping his neck with wide eyes. "Baki? And the… and he… WHAT THE HELL?"

I changed back to normal and burst out laughing, clutching my stomach. "Oh dear Kages, you should've seen your face! That was priceless!"

He growled and stood up on his bed. "Suki! YOU!"

I was still on the floor, laughing myself to death. He suddenly jumped on me, in all his half-naked glory. This only made me laugh harder, even if he was now pinning me down. "You wouldn't wake up!"

He growled again, a weird mix of expressions on his face. Before he could do anything, Gaara cleared his throat. "Kankuro. You should get dressed and eat."

I blinked, still trying to control my giggles. Had that been… **jealousy** in his voice? Kankuro paled and scrambled to his feet, grabbing his stuff and practically running to the bathroom. I stood up and grabbed my bag, smoothing my hair down. Gaara was still in his corner, only he had his cold boredom mask on. I walked over to him and tapped my cheekbone. "Face. And did I hear jealousy?"

His mask dropped and he looked out the window, a light blush coloring his face. "No."

I grinned, bending down a bit to put my face right up to his. "Yes I did. You're jeeeeaaalooouuus~"

His blush darkened, and he shook his head in denial. "Am not…"

I giggled, lacing my fingers behind my back. "Don't worry, you're still my favorite."

On this, I bent down to place a kiss on his cheek. However, he turned at the same time, making our lips meet instead. My eyes widened and I took a step back. I didn't blush. Really, I didn't. Ok, maybe a little. A lot. My face was on fire.

'Oh. My. Kage.'

While the heat from my face melted my brain, tomato-colored Gaara suggested we go to the training field and listen to what Baki had to say. I nodded, and followed on autopilot.

'_Little girl, why are you blushing over that? Especially after what you did to his brother.'_

My eyes widened in shock.

'Did _she_ just talk?'

I shook my head, almost missing the next roof.

'No way. It's not a full moon, or even night. It couldn't have been _her_."

I thought back to the message _she _had left.

_['Dearest host, I fucking hate you. You won this battle little girl, but you won't win the war. You're going to see a lot more of me soon. Until then, enjoy my little present for the day.']_

'You're going to see a lot more of me soon… I don't like the sound of this.'

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_1. Oh, will you look at that. AN UPDATE!_

_2. I do love teasing Kankuro. *evil laugh* Oh and they kissed. Yeah. But it was an accident, so that only counts for half. Demon containers need their love too..._

_3. *more evil laughter* Interesting stuff's happening with Suki's demon~ But I can't tell what on here._

_4. I'm currently juggling several stories, not to mention moving to a new house. Also, I'm going on vacation, so I might not update for a while... Sorry for not updating that often... Btw, I constantly make minor improvements to previous chapters, so you might want to re-read them once in a while._


	7. Apology

To my 20 followers, 9 favoriters, and 11 reviewers:

I'm sorry guys :( I have a serious case of writer's block for this story. I have tried to write the next chapter, only to end up scrapping it.

I'm not abandoning this story, nor am I putting it under hiatus. I just wanted to let you know you probably won't get a new chapter for a long while.

Once I get my real-life schedule back together, I'll go back and re-watch the chuunin exam, and hopefully get back to writing. I am truly sorry. If anyone of you want to give me ideas, or just yell at me, post it in reviews or message me. I'll gladly take it.

I hope you weren't too disappointed in finding out this update wasn't a chapter.

LilttleFreak


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